Tag: Caregiving | Varta Trust

This graphic shows a colourful, roughly circular word cloud created with key words and phrases that appear in the accompanying article. The key words used in the graphic include disability, rare diseases, hope, potential, champion, possibilities, technology, accessibility and allyship. The word cloud, with a mix of colours like blue, green, magenta, purple and amber, appears on a white background. The shape, colours and the text of the graphic together seem to create a strong symbol of positivity and empowerment. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Where there’s a will, there’s a champion!

By Shubhra Sinha

‘FebRAREuary2026’ was a month-long campaign on spreading awareness about rare diseases organized by World Without GNE Myopathy, Delhi. Shubhra Sinha shares her story written for the campaign

This illustration is a combination of a daytime indoor photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph is a mid-range shot of a flooded landing of a small apartment building in Kolkata. The photograph has been taken from higher up on the stairs, with the banister on the left side of the stairs and a wall on the right side. Translucent brown water lit up by a tube light floods the landing up to the first step and the elevator shaft. The elevator gate is shut and the elevator itself has been switched off and stationed on a higher floor. A partially submerged bicycle stands at the bottom of the stairs. A grilled gate leading out of the landing is closed. The accompanying text says: “The elderly and the disabled who must live on the ground floor saw their rooms flooding, while those who live on the upper floors, found the elevators not working. I wonder how people with mobility issues would have managed, but the media outlets did not find it fit to cover these concerns. Instead, they showed visuals of Durga Puja pandals affected by the waters.” Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Sep '25

Flood of despair and indifference

By Shampa Sengupta

Shampa Sengupta writes about what the recent flooding in Kolkata meant for people with disabilities and the all-round disregard for their concerns

This is a mid-range photograph of a community dialogue on dementia awareness underway at Storyteller Bookstore in South Kolkata on August 23, 2025. The dialogue was organized by the mental health peer counsellors associated with Varta Trust. On the left, Nilanjana Maulik, Secretary of the Calcutta Chapter of the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India, is seated on a chair. She was the main speaker and can be seen smiling and talking to the participants in an animated manner. Around a dozen individuals, a mix of different genders and part of a larger audience not seen in the photograph, are seated in a semi-circle on chairs facing the speaker and listening attentively. A large TV screen can be seen behind the speaker displaying a slide from her presentation. An open laptop and some books can be seen placed on a low desk next to the speaker. Brightly coloured walls and book shelves of the bookstore make up the backdrop. The bookstore is lit up in a cheerful golden yellow light. Photo credit: Swati Das

Happenings, Vartanama Aug '25

From stigma to support: Talking dementia in queer and transgender communities

By Pawan Dhall, Sahil

Pawan Dhall and Sahil report on an interactive session on understanding and coping with dementia held recently in Kolkata

This image is a combination of a photograph with text extracted from the accompanying article superimposed on the photograph. The photograph shows a dusk-time long shot of a sunset. The sun, a golden yellow sphere, can be seen gleaming at the bottom edge of the photograph. Some building tops and TV antennae silhouetted against the sunlight can also be seen along the bottom edge of the photograph. The rest of the photograph shows a wide expanse of a mauve sky speckled with light clouds. The text is presented in a typeface resembling handwriting and says: “When we talk of the pain and trauma of conversion therapy, this is also an area where I feel compelled to intervene and stop this horrific practice. Aritra, we both know people who have gone through this, and we have learned from them about the torturous outcomes and consequences. It is heartbreaking to think that wanting to live as who we are is still considered to be something to be ashamed of and to remain hidden. So, as someone older, I also want those younger to know that it is possible to not just survive, but to thrive, to find love, to create a chosen family, and to also continue to strive for change.” Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Commentary, Insight Jul '25

On queer self-determination (part 2)

By Meera, Aritra C.

The e-conversation between mental health professionals Meera Dhebar and Aritra C. on queer worldmaking across time periods and cultures continues

The photograph shows a close-up shot of a large collection of clocks with wooden casings in different shapes and sizes. There are large wall clocks, much smaller table clocks, and many sizes in between. Most clocks are round, while some are square or hexagonal. Some of the clocks have ornate hour and minute hands. The clock faces show different times, but all the clocks seem to be dysfunctional, discarded, and piled up in a container, which is not visible in the photograph. Photo credit: Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Poetry, Vartanama Feb '25

The 51st winter

By Rajib Chakrabarti

Rajib Chakrabarti has no qualms about accepting the severity of old age

This photograph is an example of fine-art photography, consisting of several intersecting frames within an overall frame created by the unpainted red-brown brick walls of a poor household, lit up only with daylight from outside. To the left of the photograph is a woman dressed in a patterned cotton saree, worn in a style common in Bengal, wearing ‘shankha-pola’ in her hands, and leaning against a wall, which seems to be at the entrance of her house. She is looking down at the camera as the photographer seems to be seated on the floor. Her face is shrouded in half-light and she seems to have a grim demeanour. A younger person is seated on the floor next to her holding up a vertically rectangular frame that seems to be made of glass. The person is not visible, only a part of their head and hands holding up the frame are visible in the photograph. The frame shows the portion of an open window with an ornate grill design. Greenery is visible outside the window. Inside, just below the window and next to an unpainted brick wall, food is cooking in a pan placed on a mud ‘chulha’. A ladle is placed in the pan. Next to the ‘chulha’ seems to be a pile of twigs and wood shavings, possibly for use in the ‘chulha’. An interesting interplay of light, shadow and subdued colours dominates the photograph. Photo credit: Debalina

Insight, Policy Matters Nov '23

Domestic violence and disabled women – reflections from the field

By Dr. Nandini Ghosh

Domestic violence and lack of access to legal redress still pose serious challenges to the wellbeing of disabled women in India, says Dr. Nandini Ghosh

This photograph shows the author Amrita Sarkar conducting a sensitization session on transgender health with the staff of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi earlier this year. In a conference hall lit brightly with ceiling lights, around 30 AIIMS staff members of different genders are seated in two columns. The author is standing in the aisle between the two columns, and appears to be answering the question of one of the staff members. In the background, the main entrance to the conference room, two curtained windows, and a side door are visible. A camera fixed on a tripod stand is also visible, close to the main entrance. Photo courtesy AIIMS

My Story Oct '23

How my tomorrow should look like

By Amrita Sarkar

A decade into the future, Amrita Sarkar wants the trans and queer movements to focus their energies on mental health and geriatric concerns

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and text extracted from the accompanying article. The photograph shows a set of six colourful drawings made by children living in one of the trauma response centres for conflict-affected children and youth run by Matai Society in the Bishnupur district of Manipur. The centres are run in association with various relief camps. The drawings display a diversity of imaginations of their creators – a house and a tree beside it, a lust tree with heart signs and a child on a swing hanging from the tree, abstract representation of flowers, hearts, fish, and gift boxes, and even a ship sailing on a blue sea under a blue sky with the sun shining bright. The drawings have been created with pencil colours, crayons, and sketch pens on chart papers. The accompanying text says: “The conflict has lasted beyond four months now. During these excruciating days, many local clubs, youth groups, and NGOs have been running relief camps to host the masses that have become homeless. Most of the displaced hail from the hill-valley buffer area. Despite the goodwill and support from various government and non-government agencies and donors, these camps are struggling to make ends meet because of the sheer numbers of people affected. So many have lost their homes, many others their close ones.” Photo courtesy Matai Society

Insight, Manipur Relief Sep '23

Hope amid loss, pain and anxiety in Manipur

By Matai Society

Matai Society reports on the situation in and around the Bishnupur district of Manipur months into the communal conflict in the state and lists the urgent relief requirements

This illustration shows a close-range photograph of a smiling and bespectacled Shampa Sengupta looking at the camera. She is seated on a wooden chair, with a wall behind her. The photograph is in black and white and seems to have been taken outdoors during the daytime. Text accompanying the photograph says: “If we’re talking about a wider network of support, friends have a huge role to play. For instance, I know some children with disabilities who went to mainstream schools. There they received a lot of support from their friends. Mainstream schools are so exclusionary and it’s hard to manage on your own. That’s where non-disabled persons as friends can step in and help . . . Wheeling someone with a disability around the school campus, taking notes for them, helping them with homework and studies, just being around in general. Going out for movies, other recreational activities, things like that. Things that are not necessities in the strictest sense but are important nonetheless.” Photo courtesy Shampa Sengupta

Insight May '23

On disability, friendship and caregiving

By Diksha Sanyal

Diksha Sanyal examines the role of friendship in caregiving for persons with disabilities, and how far the law recognizes this role

This main photograph is a daytime close-up shot of two large leaves growing on the forest floor at the Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary in Narendrapur, a southern suburb of Kolkata city. Both leaves show gradual signs of decay and one of them is nearly half withered away. The leaves are surrounded by a variety of other foliage, twigs and dried leaves. The decaying of the leaves signifies not just the end but also the cycle of life and rejuvenation. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Dec '21

Hope . . . and doubt . . . spring eternal

By Pawan Dhall

A year-end piece on pain and rejuvenation, hope and uncertainty by Pawan Dhall

The graphic shows a multi-coloured word cloud formed with key terms and expressions used in the accompanying article. For example: Mental health, disability, caregiving, autism, coronavirus, pandemic, anxiety, panic attack, counselling, support group, stress and so on. The word cloud does not form any particular shape or does not carry any particular symbolism. It is contained in a rectangle with a deep blue background that helps the words stand out. Graphic credit: Pawan Dhall

Happenings Jun '21

Stress management for caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic

By Amrita Chanda

Amrita Chanda reports on a recent online interaction on the mental health needs of the caregivers of persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Tagged Under: Caregiving

Where there’s a will, there’s a champion!

Flood of despair and indifference

From stigma to support: Talking dementia in queer and transgender communities

On queer self-determination (part 2)

The 51st winter

Domestic violence and disabled women – reflections from the field

How my tomorrow should look like

Hope amid loss, pain and anxiety in Manipur

On disability, friendship and caregiving

Hope . . . and doubt . . . spring eternal

Stress management for caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic

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